The Cure
by Genim Stilinski
Summary: AU. Based on the events of Epitaph One. spoilers Adelle finds a way to restore Topher's sanity.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Cure

Spoilers For: Epitaph One  
Characters: Topher Brink, Adelle DeWitt  
Rating: K+  
Summary: Adelle has an idea on how to restore Topher to his former, perfectly sane, glory.

* * *

Blonde locks peeked out from the top of a sleeping pod as Adelle DeWitt entered the room. She had become rather familiar with this sight, as it was a regular one these days. Topher sat there in his pod, books and crayons and toys strewn about, every single time that she went to see him. Some days he would peak his head out and greet her cheerfully, with an innocence that surpassed that of the dolls before they regained personalities. Today was not one of those days. Topher remained as he was, even though she knew full well that he knew she was there. So, without a word, she removed her stilettos and lowered herself to sit in the pod with him.

"Where did it all go?" He asked, maintaining his gaze at the wall.

"Where did what go, sweetheart?" She asked.

"The time. The time when everything was okay, and Echo and Paul were around, and there was peace." He now turned his eyes to hers. Tears streaked down his pale face as he desperately inquired. But she had no reply. Where did it go? She held him tightly and rocked him, as she had done so many times before. This time was different though. This time, she had a revelation. She thought of the past, and all that had happened. Then it hit her. She knew what she had to do.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Cure (Chapter 2)

Spoilers For: Epitaph One  
Characters: Topher Brink, Adelle DeWitt  
Rating: K+  
Summary: Adelle has an idea on how to restore Topher to his former, perfectly sane, glory.

Authors note: This entire chapter is a flashback, thus the italics.

* * *

_Adelle stood silently at the door to the imprinting room, as Topher moved swifly between all of the controls. He pushed buttons, looked at readouts, and then placed a wedge into the slot in the chair. _

_"Can you come here for a second?" He looked up at her, beckoning her forth with outstretched hands. She, of course, did as he asked. It was very important to him. With all of the remote wipes and imprints, and body snatching that was going on in the world, it was hard not to. He was intent on backing up himself and everyone in the dollhouse in case anything ever happened. That way, they could always be themselves again. Every one had already had their weekly copy but Topher. It was his turn now. _

_"If you could just press this button for me once I sit down, that would be great." He moved to sit in the chair, as always. This was becoming a normal occurrence for them. Adelle always did his copies for him. He didn't want anyone else to do it, not even Ivy. He was too untrusting for that. So, he set it up, and she started the scan. _

_The chair reclined as Adelle followed her colleague's simple instruction. The familiar blue halo appeared around his head when the machine activated, and Topher began to twitch. Adelle knew all to well that the pain was worth it. The mere thought of having one's body stolen was enough to make anyone unnerved. A few moments later, the chair rose, and Topher slid out of it. _

_"Thanks." He mumbled under his breath. He was always slightly grumpy after having a scan taken. _


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Cure (Chapter 2)

Spoilers For: Epitaph One  
Characters: Topher Brink, Adelle DeWitt  
Rating: K+  
Summary: Adelle has an idea on how to restore Topher to his former, perfectly sane, glory.

* * *

Adelle ventured up to Topher's office, and opened the large cabinet where they kept all of the older scans. The most recent scans were hidden behind a wall, but when Topher was still around on a regular basis, he insisted that they keep all the older ones as well. She didn't see the need then, but she most certainly did then.

She ran her fingers down the row where Topher's were kept, and she pulled out the one taken a week before the mass call- the call that started the war, the call that through the world in to chaos, the call made possible through the discoveries of Topher Brink. The call triggered the downfall of her friend into insanity, and she could think of no other way to make it better.

Adelle, suddenly taken by the magnitude of the situation, rose wearily and stumbled to the chair. She used her shaky hands to place the wedge into its slot, and then she went to coax Topher out of his pod.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Cure (Chapter 4)

Spoilers For: Epitaph One  
Characters: Topher Brink, Adelle DeWitt  
Rating: K+  
Summary: Adelle has an idea on how to restore Topher to his former, perfectly sane, glory.

* * *

She walked briskly towards the "dorm" (for lack of a better term), now solely intent on retrieving her friend for his treatment. How ironic, it seemed, that he would be the one in the chair after the many years he spent running it. Adelle walked in to find that Dr. Saunders was sitting in with Topher.

"Dr," She called, "May I have a word?" Claire whispered to her charge, no doubt informing him that she would be right back, and then she stood to follow Adelle. They walked down the corridor, just out of earshot, before Adelle turned to talk to the doctor.

"I know you may not agree with me, but I will just come out and say it anyways." She wasted no time in these matters. Now wasn't a time for formalities. "I think I may have a way to allow Topher to be himself again."

Dr. Saunders looked at her in pure disbelief. The prospect of "fixing" him, so to speak, was not something he had thought of in a long time. She had tried all sorts of medicines and therapies, but none were effective. She had all but given up on finding a cure.

"If we put Topher in the chair, wipe him, and then imprint him with a scan taken before the mass call, he should be himself again."

"No!" She took no time to think about it. "It's not right! Besides, how will you even get him up there? We can't even get him out of his pod but for bathing and using the bathroom. Even then he protests."

"I am telling, not asking. The way I see it, we have no alternative. We fix him, or we continue to watch him wither away." Her calm disposition was puzzling in situations like this.

"And then what? He'll find out about the call eventually, and then he will go down the same road, one self guilt-trip after another!" Adelle could see her flush with frustration.

"I am hoping that without his memories of the past few months, we may be able to prevent it from happening. We won't have to lie to him, but we also don't have to inform him of every turn for the worse." Claire sighed in resignation.

"I still don't approve, and won't help you do it, but I will still help him afterwards."

With that, Adelle walked back into the room, Claire on her heels.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: The Cure (Chapter 5)

Spoilers For: Epitaph One  
Characters: Topher Brink, Adelle DeWitt  
Rating: K+  
Summary: Adelle has an idea on how to restore Topher to his former, perfectly sane, glory.

* * *

Topher was seated at the far end of his pod, drawing on one of the sides when Adelle and Claire re-entered the room. The doctor, true to her word, stopped at the door, in hopes that she may remain neutral in the situation at hand. Adelle advanced, once again removing her heels and joining her friend in the pod. He looked up as soon as she joined him.

"Hello, Sweetheart." She wished to put him at ease. Even around her, without a proper greeting, Topher could become a tad bit touchy, to say the least.

"Hello." He mumbled back, returning to his drawing. At closer examination, Adelle realized that he was drawing the imprint room. This was troubling to her.

"Why are you drawing the imprint room?" She asked as delicately as she could.

"It's a bad place. Very, very bad. People are different there. I did bad things there." He hastened his hand, drawing ever more quickly as his anxiety grew. Adelle knew that things were not starting well.

"I have something to ask you, Topher." He placed down his crayon and listened.

"If you could go back to the way things were, would you?" A tear simmered in his eye, and after a moment, he answered.

"I would, but I can't. I can never go back. I don't know how to go back. TAKE ME BACK!!!" He was at his worst. Broken down to tears, the brilliant scientist that once was no longer resided in this broken shell that sat before Adelle. It had to be done. He needed to return.

"Come with me, and I'll take you back." She whispered, and held out her hand. Topher looked up at her, and nodded.

"But do you promise?" He asked, as he stood to get out.

"I promise."

Hand in hand they left the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: The Cure (Chapter 6)

Spoilers For: Epitaph One  
Characters: Topher Brink, Adelle DeWitt  
Rating: K+  
Summary: Adelle has an idea on how to restore Topher to his former, perfectly sane, glory.

* * *

The trio headed up the stairs, albeit at a turtle's pace. Adelle knew she couldn't rush him, and Dr. Saunders wouldn't allow it. And so they went. Slowly. Topher stopped on each step and looked back. Then, he hopped up on the next with both feet. Both Claire and Adelle stood on either side of him at the ready, hoping that he wouldn't fall. When they finally reached the top, Topher realized where they were headed.

"I don't want to go into the bad place," He whimpered as he started to hug Adelle, "Please don't make me go."

"It's the only way we can get you back, sweetheart." She responded delicately. Topher then let go and turned to Claire.

"Can't we go back in a different room?" He sounded desperate, and she didn't know what to say.

"No." A one word answer was all she could manage to say to him. She wanted so badly to take him back to his pod, but DeWitt made a promise to him, and she wasn't in the business of breaking other people's promises for them.

Adelle once again took his hand and lead him forward. He complied, reluctantly, but he made it all the way to the imprint room. The machine was set and ready. A wipe and then an imprint of himself was in order. He knowingly looked at the chair, took a gulp and a breath, and sat down.

"You're doing well," She reassured him. Claire, who now occupied Topher's old computer chair, had nothing to do but bite her tongue.

Topher gave a small smile before Adelle turned to get some neural transmitters. She placed each small pad on his forehead in their respective positions, and two larger ones on his chest to monitor his vital signs. The machines spring to life with a series of beeps and lights, alerting Adelle that it was ready. All she needed to do now was install active architecture press the large button on the side console of the chair.

She took a gun-like device out of a drawer at Topher's desk and slid a small piece of machinery into the bottom. Turning back to her "patient", she fiddled with the device to prepare it for operation.

"This may hurt a bit." Adelle warned him as she turned his head to the right. Placing the point of the device to the back of his neck, she pulled the trigger. With a shout and another series of beeps, she knew that the active architecture was in.

Claire watched as Adelle moved about the head of the chair and pressed the button. "_Topher looks so calm. That's a rarity." _She thought. The chair leaned back, bright lights flashed, and Topher began to whimper. Soon the whimpers became cries of agony. Both women watched as he suffered. His back arched, his aqua eyes closed, his hands gripped the chair, and then it was done. The chair rose slowly, as it always did.

"Did I fall asleep?"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the wait. The final chapter should be up by the end of the week. Thanks for the reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

Title: The Cure (Chapter 7)

Spoilers For: Epitaph One  
Characters: Topher Brink, Adelle DeWitt  
Rating: K+  
Summary: Adelle has an idea on how to restore Topher to his former, perfectly sane, glory.

Adelle blinked. Topher continued to stare, awaiting the proper response.

"Did I fall asleep?" He asked again, still meeting no reply from Adelle. It was then that Dr. Saunders decided to intervene. She stood to take her place in front of him.

"For a little while." She said, in her pleasant doctor voice.

"Shall I go now?"

"If you like." She gave the customary response, and Topher rose from the chair and walked out.

* * *

Adelle strode boldly into the art center, where Topher sat by his lonesome, painting an abstract picture with his fingers and the colors of the rainbow. All of the other inhabitants of the Dollhouse were in circle; their faces were illuminated by the small candles they held, while everything else was dark. Topher had a larger candle by his right side to brighten his surroundings. She sat down on the opposite side of him, placing one hand on his shoulder.

"It's time for your treatment, dear." She informed him with the kindest voice she could muster. To any other person, it would be obvious that she was trying in vain to hide her nerves, but Topher was a doll now. He didn't know to question.

He cleaned his hand on a damp towel and placed it in his recently vacated chair. Adelle didn't wait for him to finish to make her way towards the imprint room. Topher was quick to follow. She entered first, only to find that Claire was gone. Adelle assumed that seeing the process again would be too much for her. Therefore, she decided to start without Dr. Saunders.

"Please sit." She motioned to the chair, and Topher followed her instruction. Adelle pressed the button on the side of the chair's console, and it reacted accordingly, placing the man it held into a reclined position. The lights came on, and Topher began to twitch. Then it was done. The chair came back up, and he became aware.

"What the hell???"

* * *

Author's Note: Yeah, I know I said that this would be the last chapter, but I decided that I needed one more chapter to fully conclude it. I hope to finish soon. R&R Please!!!!!!!


	8. Epilogue

Title: The Cure

Spoilers For: Epitaph One  
Characters: Topher Brink, Adelle DeWitt  
Rating: K+  
Summary: Adelle has an idea on how to restore Topher to his former, perfectly sane, glory.

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

Topher was making his final trip down to his pod to collect the remainder of his things when he ran in to Priya.

"Hello, Topher," She cordially greeted him, "I see you're better."

"Yes, well, it was all DeWitt." He clasped his hands together in front of him, as he often did when he was speaking.

"I'll see you later, then. I'm on perimeter watch for the next hour with Anthony." It took him a minute to remember what doll was originally and "Anthony". After making a mental note to learn their real names, he continued his short walk to his former home.

Several former dolls greeted him as he made his way through the wide corridor. _It is indeed strange_, he thought, _to see them acting so differently than I remember them. _Topher hadn't quite gotten used to the fact that they weren't childlike pawns anymore. They were real people, all of the time, with real personalities and memories of their own.

When he entered the dorm, he found Adelle sitting in his pod, holding the pillow that he had yet to retrieve. The other items, which included a few toys and a variety of introspective and scientific books, remained scattered around the edge. She didn't look up at him, though he was certain that she knew he was there.

"Listen, Adelle," He started, unsure of what to say to her, "I'm glad you fixed me. When you told me of how I was just yesterday… well, thanks." He held out his hand to help her up, and she took it hesitantly.

Topher and Adelle strode out, hand in hand, to face the fallen world together. As hard as it would be for Topher to adjust to what to him would be a sudden downfall of humanity, it would be even harder for Adelle. She became his caregiver when he was unwell, and know he was better, and without those memories. All in all she was still glad to have her friend back. _Now how do I go back to how _I _used to be, _she thought sadly.

* * *

Authors Note: Finally, the end. I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
